Reactions to the replacement for Nintendo’s extraordinarily successful Wii have been somewhat mixed. While some have praised Nintendo for listening to the criticisms of the outgoing machine, with the promise of improved multiplayer support, HD output and extra power to entice developers, others have been somewhat nonplussed by its control system, which introduces a chunky GamePad with built-in screen as well as bringing back the old Wii-remote and nunchuck.
Soon, we’ll be able to decide for ourselves whether Nintendo’s got its new console right or not. The Wii-U will launch in Japan on the 8th December, and will be available in two versions. The white Basic Wii-U will be available for 26,250 yen (£209, or $337), and will contain 8GB of memory. The black Wii U, dubbed Premium, will cost just over 5000 yen extra (equating to around £251, or $405), and will come with 32GB of memory and a subscription to the Nintendo Network Premium service, which will offer discounts on games downloaded from Nintendo’s eShop.
A range of launch titles have also been announced: ZombiU, Game & Wario, Project P-100, Nintendo Land and Pikmin 3. So far as we can gather, the price points for these haven't yet been disclosed.
The biggest talking point from the announcement, though, is the revelation that a replacement GamePad (the Wii-U’s new controller, which looks like an iPad crossed with an Etch-A-Sketch) will cost the equivalent of £107, or roughly $172. Although this sounds like an eye-watering price, it’s worth noting that none of the games announced for the Wii U so far use more than one GamePad in any case; additional players simply use the old Wii remote and nunchucks for multiplayer games.
With announcements still rolling in, we’ll be sure to have more news on the Wii-U for you soon - including its release window in the rest of the world. For now, we’re just looking forward to the idea of playing Pikmin 3...
Follow Den Of Geek on Twitter right here. And be our Facebook chum here.